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Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Iowa

Considering working as a Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Iowa? Here’s what you need to know. Operate or tend equipment such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.

What do Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Make in Iowa?

For a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders working in Iowa, the median annual wage is $48,880 per year (or about $23.50/hour).Earnings range from $40,390 at the 10th percentile to $80,070 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$40,390	$19.42
25th percentile	$42,340	$20.35
Median (50th)	$48,880	$23.50
75th percentile	$80,070	$38.50
90th percentile	$80,070	$38.50

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Iowa relative to the national average — is 3.67, meaning that cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders earn a median of $62,214 per year ($29.91/hour), below the Iowa median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 620,076 cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in the U.S.. In Iowa alone, about 250 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 130 cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders.

Top Iowa Metros for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

The metro areas below employ the most cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in Iowa.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	70	$47,020

Top States for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Employment

The table below shows the states where the most cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders work.

State	Number Employed
California	550
Georgia	460
Mississippi	400
North Carolina	390
Missouri	340
Texas	330
Arkansas	320
Iowa	250
Michigan	210
Ohio	200
Oregon	180
New York	170
Alabama	170
Virginia	140
Kansas	140
Oklahoma	130
South Carolina	100
Connecticut	90
Florida	90
Maryland	80

Highest-Paying States for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

Where cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders earn the most: cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders.

State	Annual Median Salary
Illinois	$58,200
Michigan	$54,360
Kansas	$51,640
Florida	$50,960
New Jersey	$50,790
Iowa	$48,880
Washington	$47,950
Maryland	$47,940
Missouri	$47,780
Colorado	$47,440

Skills

Key cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders typically:

• Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms.
• Monitor pressure gauges, ammeters, flowmeters, thermometers, or products, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions, such as feed rate, product consistency, temperature, air pressure, and machine speed.
• Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures.
• Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes.
• Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary.
• Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools.
• Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment.
• Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product.
• Weigh packages and adjust freezer air valves or switches on filler heads to obtain specified amounts of product in each container.
• Inspect and flush lines with solutions or steam, and spray equipment with sterilizing solutions.
• Load and position wrapping paper, sticks, bags, or cartons into dispensing machines.
• Sample and test product characteristics such as specific gravity, acidity, and sugar content, using hydrometers, pH meters, or refractometers.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Getting Information
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Training and Teaching Others
• Handling and Moving Objects

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Related occupations to cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders include:

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Food Batchmakers
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Also Known As

Ammonia Refrigeration Worker, Batch Freezer, Batch Freezer Operator, Brewery Cellar Worker, Brewery Worker, Cellar Person, Certified Refrigeration Operator, Chiller Operator, Chiller Tender, Chilling Hood Operator, Compressor Operator, Cooler, Cooler Case Picker, Cooler Operator, Cooler Tender.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9193.00